Actor Brian d'Arcy James returns for Saginaw's 'Field of Hope' gala

View full sizeBrian d'Arcy James performs the pop hits he loved growing up in his fourth run at the Field Neurological Institute's annual gala Sept. 13 at the Temple Theatre.

SAGINAW, MI – It’s always good in the entertainment world, says Brian d’Arcy James, to have a few more things to tuck under your belt.

And the Saginaw Township native will soon add a fourth performance at the Field Neurosciences Institute’s “Field of Hope,” at the Temple Theatre, to a list that includes Tony Award nominations for Broadway’s “Shrek the Musical” and “Sweet Smell of Success” and a command performance before President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House.

“I’m humbled to come home, to where it all began,” said the actor and musician.

The evening opens at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, with a Bountiful Buffet and continues at 8 p.m. with James and accompanist Dan Lipton. Tickets cost $125; call 989-497-3117.

Tickets to the show alone cost $50 and are available at the Temple Theatre box office at 203 N. Washington, by calling 989-754-SHOW or online at templetheatre.com.

Proceeds provide fellowships for students working with the FNI research staff at its lab in Saginaw Township, studying possible causes and treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological disorders.

“I hope I’m not wearing out my welcome,” James joked, calling from his home in New York City before heading off for a long weekend in Connecticut. But there’s little chance of that with an audience that watched his career grow at Nouvel Catholic Central High School, Pit and Balcony Community Theatre and other venues.

If you miss him in Saginaw, tune in “Ironside” at 10 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2, on NBC.

“They revamped the old series and made some revisions,” casting Blair Underwood in Raymond Burr’s classic role, he said. “I’m one of the bad guys, a no-good hedge fund manager, and that’s always fun to play.”

He’s also readying for a return engagement at 54 Below, “an incredible nightclub” he helped open last summer in the basement of the old Studio 54.

“In ‘Under the Influence,’ I sing the pop songs that I loved growing up, and others reminiscent of the style and era, not just from the ‘70s and ‘80s,” and he’ll draw from that in his performance at “Field of Hope.”

“One of the benefits of time is that you have a canvas of work to weigh against new opportunities,” he said, admitting that singing out of character moves out of the box. “You can see where you can challenge yourself, what takes you out of your comfort zone, and what holds the most attraction.

“I would love to keep rolling in television; I really enjoyed being in ‘Smash.’ I’m always looking for something in musical theater but I don’t gobble up everything coming my way.”

He’s also writing a film screenplay with a few friends, a black comedy, he said, “about the fascinating ways you cope or don’t cope when you lose something important to you.”

Any advice for aspiring young actors?

“Come knowing you’re going to spend most of your time trying to find work,” James said. “You don’t see the 90 percent of the time we put into auditions for roles we don’t get. Prepare to jump in the pool and swim 100 laps.

“I’m still jumping through hoops and hoping for that sprinkle of pixie dust. It’s always interesting.”